1. Field of the invention
The present invention generally relates to an information recording apparatus for recordable optical disc such as an R-CD (Recordable Compact Disc), and more particularly to an information recording apparatus which can reduce a time required to record information for making a completely recorded disc.
2. Description of the prior art
An optical disc called "CD (Compact Disc)" is generally known. The CD is provided with a lead-in area, a program area and a lead-out area from an inner circumference to an outer circumference of the disc. The lead-in area contains index information for recorded information, the program area contains actual recorded information, and the lead-out area indicates the end of the program area. The information is recorded as digital signals modulated by "EFM" (Eight to Fourteen Modulation), and the signals include main code (main information) such as music information and subcode such as a time code (time information), etc. The index information recorded in the lead-in area is called "TOC (Table Of Contents)" which includes a total number of recorded information pieces in the program area, e.g., a total number of music pieces, a total recorded time, e.g., a total playing time of the music pieces, and so on. On the program area, in addition to the music information or the like recorded as the main code, Q data of the subcode, track number (TNO) indicating the number of the recorded information piece such as music piece, recording time (P-TIME) counted from the start of the track, and total recording time (A-TIME) counted from the starting track (No.1 track). The lead-out area contains a lead-out code indicating the lead-out area.
The CD having such a format is a medium used only for playback. However, it is developed an R-CD (Recordable Compact Disk) which has the same recording format as CD and on which information can be additionally recorded. The recording format of the R-CD is standardized by the standard defined in so called "orange book". In the recording format of R-CD, there are provided a PCA (Power Calibration Area) and a PMA (Program Memory Area) positioned inner side of the lead-in area. The PCA is a test area used for test recording for calibrating the recording laser power, and the PMA is an area for storing recording history of information recorded on the program area.
The PCA includes a TA (Test Area) used for test recording and a CA (Count Area) for recording information indicating which area in the TA has been already used for test recording.
In the PMA, following three information are recorded. The first information is a start address, an end address, etc. of the information recorded in the program area and is recorded according to the same recording format as that of the TOC information in the lead-in area. The second information is a disc identification information (optional) which may be recorded as six digits of numerical information for identification of the disc. The third information is skip instruction for skipping playback of some tracks or some portions of tracks and skip cancel instruction for cancelling the skip instruction.
PMA is provided by following reason. In a recording of R-CD, TOC information can not be recorded on the lead-in area until an end (finalize) of the recording is instructed since information may be further recorded in remained unrecorded area of the program area of the disc. Accordingly, provisional TOC information are recorded in the PMA.
Therefore, the TOC information provisionally stored in the PMA and the lead-out code are recorded after a finalization of the recording is notified by a user or a controller in the R-CD recording apparatus. Thus, the finalized R-CD can be played back by a disc player exclusive for playback.
However, it takes time to record the TOC information previously recorded in the PMA and the lead-out code for finalizing the R-CD.